Heretofore, transfer and shuttle devices have included travel carriages mounting workpiece gripper assemblies for transporting a workpiece to the bed of a press for loading or unloading such workpiece into or out of a work station in automation system. This is for the transfer of sheet metal panels, for example, into and out of stamping presses or welding stations. Large presses are generally positioned, spaced and aligned to allow the workpiece to progress in a straight line from press to press having successive operations i.e., forming, trimming, piercing, performed in order that the workpiece moves through the line to a greater state of completion.
Since these presses are often placed fairly close together, and are not readily movable, it is necessary that the travel carriage of the shuttle device move a sufficient distance from the center of one press to the center of another press. Difficulties have been encountered in providing a travel carriage which will move the workpiece prescribed distances and which will do so within a reasonable time period.